Remember Interoperable Technologies? They're the company that is actually working with both SIRIUS and XM (gasp!) to create a dual-service receiver that supposedly is nearing production. Well, Interoperable Technologies has gone and filed for a patent to operate a dual-service receiver via a cellphone/PDA.

 

As I understand it (and, mind you, I'm no lawyer), the patent creates a method to activate and control a satellite radio receiver via Bluetooth (or possibily other wireless protocols). It also allows for the methodology to transmit back to the satellite provider your usage statistics. Oh, and probably most importantly, it specifies the ability to create a "portable satellite radio subscription" - meaning that while you're at home, you can listen to your home receiver; then when you get in your car, you can listen to your car's receiver. All controlled via this single cellphone/PDA device, and presumably under a single subscription.

It's important to note that this is not a patent to listen to satellite radio via a cellphone/PDA, instead it's a method to control your satellite radio receivers via a cellphone/PDA.

I really like the concept of a transferrable activation method. As noted in the patent application, an "exemplary embodiment" of this would be the use of public satellite radio subscriptions:

Such public subscription radios may be located, for example, in places such as restaurants, coffee houses, hotels, and like places where a series of individuals are likely to be for relatively short periods of time. The subscription radio service provider may elect to charge a user for activation of each public subscription radio or for the ability to be able to activate any public subscription radio. 

Walk into your hotel room, activate the room's satellite radio receiver, and you won't miss any of your favorite shows.

Read the full patent application here, or check out this PDF version which includes diagrams and flowcharts.

[via Satellite Radio TechWorld]
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

The Sea Launch team is preparing for their fifth mission of 2006, the launch of the XM-4 satellite, which is scheduled to occur on October 26th.

There's a 58-minute launch window that begins at 4:49pm Pacific Daylight Time (23:49 GMT), and if all goes well a Zenit-3SL will send the 11,448 lbs XM-4 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position of 115 degrees West Longitude.

Check out the live webcam of the Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander as they embark about 3,000 miles to the launch site on the Equator (specifically at 154 degrees West Longitude).
Hopefully everything will be nominal.

With the FCC's crack down on FM modulators exceeding emission levels a new alternative needed to be created that satisfies two major criteria: 1) the FM signal can't "bleed" to other vehicles and 2) it needs to provide the best user experience possible. None of these factors are negociable.

Enter the next-generation of FM Transmitters for satellite radio. Both XM and SIRIUS have very similar approaches: localize the transmission as close as possible to the car's pre-existing antenna.

The next obvious approach is to hard-wire the satellite radio directly to the headunit, but that's asking a bit much from the consumer. That's not to say that running wires all over your car should be considered an easy task for most consumers, but this is a good compromise. The Big Box Retailers with installation services are going to be loving this by the way, because these extra FM wires are going to entice the consumer to go with a professional installation (which provides an upsell opportunity to go with the hard-wire approach).

But enough with this palaver, on with the modulators...

Here you'll see the most common locations of a vehicle's FM antenna. External locations include numbers 1-4 (front fender, rear fender, front roof-top and rear roof-top - these can be either the retractable or fixed "aerial" antennas, or those fancy "shark-fin" ones you see). Internal locations include numbers 5-7 (which are the inside-glass versions that look like a window defroster - #7 specifically shows how some SUVs/Mini-vans will be located in on the side-windows).

The separation between Internal and External are important, because this is where XM's and SIRIUS' approaches with their FM Coupler and FM Extender differ. See a whole lot more on this after the jump...

This month Sea Launch is preparing for the launch of XM Satellite Radio's XM-4 Satellite (which I believe will be nicknamed "Blues"). The latest status update shows XM-4 being delivered from the Boeing Satellite Development Center to Sea Launch's Payload Processing Facility (pictured). Sea Launch will have live streaming video of the launch on their website.

XM-4, a high-power S-band Boeing 702 satellite, will have 18 kilowatts of total power and is designed for a 15-year lifespan. It will have a final orbital position of 115 degrees West Longitude.

Meanwhile, Harris Corporation has completed the design review for two unfurlable 9-meter gold mesh reflectors with articulating booms that will be used onboard the XM-5 satellite (being manufactured by Space Systems/Loral).